Thursday, October 10, 2013

Artist of the Day: The Twilight Sad

The notion of arriving fully formed is so often applied to bands it's become something of a cliché, and in reality it rarely tells the entire tale of a group's inception. Some, for instance, may point to The Twilight Sad as an example, but theirs was a case of rapid development as opposed to embryonic perfection. Released in 2007, Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters was the sound of a group firing on all cylinders; a magnificent culmination of elements laid down whilst members still attended school, and enhanced in the four years since they started taking themselves seriously.

No matter its origins, many elements of the debut from Kilsyth's finest are beyond debate. Among the finest, and certainly most underrated, entrances of the past decade, it announced the coming of a truly special outfit who'd swiftly be recognised as an institution of Scotland's music scene. Sure, it was hardly a turning point in musical history, but its sound was unmistakably that of a band forging its own path, guitarist Andy McFalane's warped guitars and accompanying accordions creating a monument of volume and warmth against which James Graham instantly announced himself among the great Scottish singers.

With stunners like 'Cold Days from the Birdhouse,' 'That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy' and 'And She Would Darken the Memory' continuing to provide the bedrock of their live shows, it remains their most spectacular album to date - but even so their decision to revisit it so soon comes as a surprise, albeit a mightily welcome one. Performing the record in its entirety at Glasgow's King Tut's on 20 and 21 December - for no apparent reason aside from their own enjoyment - the group are set to aim a cursory nod to their past before turning their attention to a much anticipated fourth LP.

With tickets disappearing less than three hours after going on sale, it's natural many will miss out, but if nothing else it should give us the impetus to revisit their greatest achievement, just prior to the winter months in which its soundscapes thrive. Enjoy!